“When I was in distress, you made me enlarged; Psalm 4:1

In life we will always encounter situations that we do not understand and many times they are things that are beyond our control: The loss of a family member, an illness, a divorce, a child who left home, etc. It is easy to become discouraged, give up on our dreams and become frustrated and stagnant. 

God will use dark times in our lives; they are part of His divine plan. A seed cannot germinate in the light. As long as the seed sits on a shelf, it will never become what it was created to be. That seed must be planted in the ground for what is inside to come to life. The dark place is a prerequisite to entering into the fullness of our destiny. 

There are seeds inside us: Dreams, goals, talents, potential etc. will only come to light after being in a dark place. 

If we study the scriptures, every person who did anything significant went through one of these dark places. 

Moses spent 40 years in the wilderness, in that dark place something was happening inside him; God was preparing him. Moses was developing patience, humility and confidence. Without going through the dark place, he would never have been able to lift up the staff and part the Red Sea. Exodus 14

Esther was an orphan, a young girl who had lost her parents. She felt alone, forgotten in a dark place, but God used her to help save the people of Israel. Esther 4:14

Elijah was so depressed that he wanted to die; a dark place, yet he is one of the heroes of faith who called down fire from heaven. 1 Kings 19:4

David had an affair with a married woman, had her husband killed. For a year he was broken, sick, guilty, yet he is called a man after God's own heart. 2 Samuel 11:1

It is in those dark places where we really grow, where our character develops, where we learn to trust, to persevere, our spiritual muscles are getting stronger. In the dark places we get closer to God, you get quiet and listen to what He says. 

In those dark places, you reevaluate your priorities, spend time with your family, learn to appreciate what God has given you. 

You may not realize it, but in the dark places you are being blessed. Something is happening inside; it is helping you realign your vision. When you go through enough dark places, you learn not to complain about the small things. 

I like the good times a lot more, I prefer everything to go my way, but it wasn't the good times that brought out the best in me, it was the lonely nights, the times when I didn't think I could do it. 

Don't give up, God has a plan and a purpose for your life.  

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11

Pastor Martin Wolf